Search Continues In Melbourne For Missing Irish Woman

The Australian home of missing Irish woman Jill Meagher has been searched twice by officers investigating her disappearance in Melbourne.

29-year-old Jill Meagher has been missing since the early hours of Saturday morning after a night out with work colleagues at a bar close to her home in the suburb of Brunswick.

Forensic police and homicide detectives spent almost three hours at the flat she shared with her husband Tom’s, before emerging with six large sealed brown paper bags.

Officers of the homicide squad then returned to the apartment several hours later.

It is understood the search is a routine part of the investigation.

Police have said they are also investigating whether someone involved in her disappearance planted Ms Meagher’s handbag, which was found by a passerby on Monday morning.

The bag was discovered in an alley close to where she was last seen, but Detective Inspector John Potter said police had already searched the area.

“There’s two options; either police in the original search missed the bag, or the bag has since been placed at that laneway after the police searched it originally,” he said.

(H)